


Shadow Blade - The Rising Angel

by Blacklyra



Series: Shadow Blade [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Aera is Aera, Alien Planet, Angels, Best Friend Trio, But there are only three, Deception, Demons, Demons Lords on the hunt, Dragons are Godlike Beings, Everyone hates Half-bloods, Fantastic Racism, Felix is the pretty one, Fluff and Angst, Gratuitous Violence, Half-Human, Hideous Monsters, Humans are Endangered Species, Medieval Mindset, Multi, Mutation, Old story revived, Plus one angel girl, Political Alliances, Rinn's a fun bastard, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sleeping overlord, Swordplay, Twin Brothers, Urde is the intelligent one, Vampires, Viewpoint shift, Wanted Criminals, War, Warnings are ignored, Werewolves, and everyone is after them, angels can die, demons have stalkerish tendencies, magical powers-sort of, not so immortal Gods, possible rewrite?, whose also a tomboy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-10
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-18 21:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1443697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blacklyra/pseuds/Blacklyra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life has never been calm and peaceful on the Eighth World. Dracaunal is a world torn apart by plague and war, standing on the tenuous barrier between Order and Madness. Centuries past, the realm of humanity has been reduced to mere scraps of its former glory, now lost and alone in a world that no longer cares for them. The ancient enemy has ensnared many Humes, transforming them into monstrous Demon Lords who can serve no other master, tasked with hunting their own for the same cause.</p><p>Meanwhile, two brothers fight to protect the world from an underestimated threat, losing dear friend in the process deep within enemy territory. When the countries of Neara and Bailbacia spark the flames of War, the Rakshaza brothers are the continent's greatest hope for the future...and the Demons' most prized marks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Eighth World: Dracaunal, An Introduction

**Shadow Blade~**

**~ (1) ~**

**Rising Angel**

**_By:_ H. M. F.**

 

　

**Legend of Origin: The Plague**

_**Year: 450; Dracaunal, the Eighth World** _

 

　

_In the beginning there was the realm of humans. They were the dominant and the wisest of all species in all of Cailista, the most blessed land in the world of Dracaunal. Humans once lived in harmony and respected nature as their equal, but like the beasts and the birds soon to come, peace would not last._

_The traitor Draj, god of hatred and chaos, loathed the Goddesses of Heaven and their creation of Humes. He gave rise to a foul plague that swept across the world at a tremendous speed. All whom it touched fell ill, all who fell ill perished. Casualties of humans counted into the millions and the beasts mutated into hideous monsters which aided in the slaughter. The suffering continued. More innocent lives were lost by the day, leaving them with no place to turn._

_Finally the goddess Genesis gave those untouched by the plague the gift of change. The Humes evolved. With their new identities, they became immune to the disease. Some merged their identities with creatures of the wild. They were: Minotaur, the bull-men; Worgs, the dog-men; and the Kreous, the bird-men._

_Others' changes were not so drastic. There were the Riade, dark-skinned creatures whose eyes could see as hawks. Then there were the Gena, fair-skinned creatures who Connected their consciousness with the One Source to survive the plague._

_Although the Gift was bestowed upon all Humes, there were those who did not accept it. Considering evolution an insult of the highest order, the remaining humans fled both the plague and the Gift to a new continent they named Riddiria. They lived in that wasteland until the plague weakened and disappeared from the world all together._

_After a long and difficult struggle, the Gifted Ones built a new home for themselves in Cailista, locked away the monsters they called Fiends and accepted the lost and suffering Humes known as the Forgotten Ones. But all the while, Draj plotted a cunning plan of vengeance against the gods who had sealed him from their world._

 


	2. Prologue: Deep Wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urde and Aera hunt dangerous prey, only to find that things are not so simple after all.

_Year: 2457; Dark Continent Morrian, Deep Wood_

_Aera was almost fast asleep in the forest hollow where she really shouldn’t have been slacking off so languidly when his clear-toned voice woke her up again with a jerk._

**_Aera, we’re already behind schedule as it is and—hey are you sleeping again?_ **

_The mental link made his voice sound echo-like, as though he were far away and right next to the young woman at the same time. It was a strange feeling; and it had taken some time to get used to, as even Aera did not totally appreciate opening her mind up, even to a close friend. In a mental link the five senses meant next to nothing for a real conversation to take place, defying common logic in a way that no other magic could easily replicate. They never really affected the strength or meaning to your words, at least, not that she was aware of. After all, it was essentially an art taking place all in your head._

_Aera just groaned and rolled over in the hollow with the budding desire to ignore him. Surely he could leave her alone and let her relax in preparation for just a few minutes._

**_Give me a couple minutes. We've got plenty of time before they arrive._ **

_The young swordsman's voice was even more exasperated after her expected reply. There was a break in the noise where he must've rolled his eyes in a show of frustration that no one would end up seeing—many of that boy’s reactions were never the most unexpected or cryptic when filtered through the neutrality of a mental link, **Aera give me a break; you've been sleeping for almost an hour. I've been trying to wake you up for forever! Man, you sleep like a log!**_

_It took a couple of seconds before that confirmation kicked in before the young woman lost her sleepines in the shock. She jumped up to her feet in the hidden tree hollow, crushing a small pile of browning leaves with a crinkling symphony in her surprise, **Oh shit, seriously? You can't be serious! Sorry for worrying you! Let's go!**_

_**Good then, break the link and I'll set up our preparations. Hurry and be quick about it.** He went deathly silent and Aera complied with a nod that he would never see abruptly shattering the mental connection with a wave of her racing thoughts, allowing herself to focus on more important matters._

_The tree hollow was packed with an—embarrassingly—messy pile of supplies, a simple leather pack, a white shield and cream-colored blade, a few gems and multiple large maps of the countryside. She pulled everything together with a renewed sense of haste, knowing that she had to hurry if the words from before weren’t just a metaphorical cattle prod to convince her to move faster. If Aera really had been asleep for an hour, then they only had about eight minutes or so until the targeted prey arrived in the area. After all the trouble getting into this forest, it'd be a shame if a well-prepared group missed such an easy timing. Aera sheathed her long sword at her side and strapped the white crescent-shaped shield to her arm with a swift click, and then hefted the bag of supplies over her shoulder._

_Before running out of the hollow, almost as an afterthought, the swordswoman decided to streak a handful of mud over her pale armor so as not to catch the dull glint of the moonlight. She crawled carefully out of the tree hollow, watching for any possible sign of danger. As soon as she knew the coast was clear, she broke into a sprint, keeping low to the ground. Never straying from the shadows of the trees, Aera circled a large clearing until abruptly changing course and heading through a path of ferns. She reconnected the mental link as soon as she arrived at an enormous white birch tree where the group was intended on meeting up and tried to contact the others._

**_Rinn. This is Aera. I am at the gathering location, are we ready for the trap?_ **

_There was a long pause that set her heart racing, and no one answered._

**_Rinn! Where in the hell are you? Please answer now, this isn't freakin’ funny!_ **

_Finally someone answered the link, but it wasn't Rinn. Urde's mental tone was tense and cautious, but did very little to stop the woman from losing her cool now that someone had failed to respond. **At last Aera, you're awake. Can't speak for Rinn though, I can't get in touch with him either. Either he cut off connection, which a leader doesn't usually do, or something bad happened.**_

_The words 'something bad' gave Aera a very terrible feeling, glancing over her shoulder to see if some monster was lurking just around the corner, waiting to ambush them. Rinn wouldn't disconnect, wouldn't leave the rest of his team with all of the responsibility that was expected of his role. He was the biggest man of this little hunting party and had to keep watch on the rest of them at all times to make sure we didn’t goof off (ahem), or get placed in greater danger. Only some things could force a leader to disconnect from a mind link and none of them were good, as in most cases an ambush was the cause._

**_Do you think he might have been attacked?_ **

_**I don't really know Aera. But we can't afford to cancel this mission to go and search for him. The enemy shouldn't know of our presence here yet. We can't let the prey get away, there simply will not be a better opportunity for us to strike.** Urde's attitude had hardened considerably, seemingly doubting Aera's resolve even when she knew he was anything but._

**_I know how important this is Urde; I'm just worried about that guy is all. Rinn is a bloody strong fighter and hell, so are we but . . . I won't let my guard down this time. I trust you and we'll continue as planned._ **

_**Good. I'll circle around the creek and head for-** Suddenly Urde was cut off and the conversation was at an end, leaving Aera with not one, but two friends who couldn't reply. Feeling completely alone, she knew that she wasn’t about to go on without them and abandoned the mission right then and there and shot out of the ferns to look for her allies. But her heart gave a leap of shock when Aera noticed what was standing in the clearing._

_A monster huge enough to swallow a person whole stood there menacingly, taking up the peaceful place with a dark malevolence that only beasts tainted by a curse of darkness could possess. Lit up by the pale light of the three half-moons, the furless monstrosity was exposed for the world to behold. It’s rough and graying skin was stretched taunt over its gaunt body and a line of blood-stained brown spines jutted out of the creature's back, high into the air. It kept its brutish snout low to the ground, snuffling and snorting like a boar searching for the scent of prey._

_Aera immediately stopped before it could sense her presence and swung unto the closest tree, watching from the shadows with disgust. Could Rinn and Urde have been attacked by this thing? She only considered this idea for a moment before quickly discarding it. No, the others were supposed to be coming in from completely different parts of the forest, which meant there must be many more of these hideous creatures responsible for the cut-offs. Just the fact that this beast was present here, in a normally safe area, meant that something was definitely worse than they had expected. She hadn't seen such beasts wondering except for beyond the Tier Gate far to the south._

_Aera knew she would need to find the others as fast as possible. She wasn't too worried if there were only a few monsters wandering the forest in small packs. Rinn and Urde could defeat a couple creatures without breaking a sweat, but if there were more, then there would be a reason to be worried. But, 'first things first. Kill this horrible thing.'_

_With the caution and balance of a cat, Aera fell from the tree and landed a few mere feet away from the creature's stubby tail. Reacting to her sudden appearance with the speed of a hound, the creature spun around and slashed at her with its scissor-like claws, which the woman easily dodged with a swift roll to the right side. Roaring in anger to have missed her, the creature charged once again, attempting to ram her with its tusks, as tiny yellow eyes twisted frantically in their sockets to keep sight of the smaller target. Aera slid out of the way and impaled one of its tree-trunk sized legs, causing a bubbly red-black goo to fountain out of the wound, staining the pale weeds. Squealing in abject agony, the beast flailed its entire body, trembling and rocking side to side. The thing flung out a twisted tusk which caught the swordswoman off guard for a second, a tiny graze sending her flying ten feet away into a nearby tree. The creature unintentionally rolled over the white sword, which was stock-still implanted in the bone and jammed it straight into its heart._

_Aera wiped a spray of monster blood roughly off of her cheek and stood up. "Well they seem to hit hard enough," she thought aloud with a growl. Not surprisingly, having to pry the sword from the creature's gut didn't help her mood any. These creatures may have been powerful but they were also stupid. Whatever or whoever had brought these creatures here to interfere had clearly underestimated her team. "No one can win these days with brute strength alone, you daft, ugly beast!" She yelled pointlessly at the dead creature, kicking it viciously in the side. "I really can't hold in my anger that well, huh. It's not really as easy as you make it sound, Urde."_

* * *

 

_"Then again," Aera dared to think to herself later, while running through the forest and looking for her friends with a steadily increasing sense of panic, "you're so much harder to find than I thought. Maybe I should call that the challenge instead." She paused for a moment to get her bearings back—if she ever really had any in the first place, and Aera was probably running in circles, and now that she thought about it Urde had never mentioned his exact location in the forest in relation to my own. She might be looking consistently for quite some time and guessing directions before long. Then again, to make it quicker she could just..._

_"Rooooooaaarrrrrrrgh!"_

_The sound of a vicious roar filled the air and the woman's eardrums began to ring at the incredible noise. That was clearly the obvious sound of another attack somewhere nearby. It was something like an alarm indicating her allies were somewhere close, then that's where I headed. Judging from the sound and my current location… then it was due east._

_Ha! That just makes it tons bit easier. Follow the path of destruction that all instinct screams at you to avoid. That is certain to make you feel real safe about what'll be waiting for you at the end of the road._

_Almost instantly, Aera rounded the next corner of tightly packed trees, coming smack into another clearing. This one was many times larger than the one she had started from and this wreck was torn to high heaven and the grass had been ripped up and crushed into green paste, so obviously the monsters didn't clean up after they left. That was only if they had left of course. This was indeed a true path of destruction, the three moons illuminating her path with a pure light not fitting of the aura of this increasing disgusting forest. Aera's destination was easily laid out for her at this point and found the others without as much fuss as she had been expecting._

_Urde was cornered by ten of the same creature Aera had defeated before, and he had Rinn-out cold-over one shoulder and a beautiful shortsword in his left hand. Urde's normally handsome face was twisted in a fierce grimace of disgust and his neck-length brown hair was even sloppier than usual. But it wasn't that sudden change in his calming demeanor that unnerved her; it was the fiery hatred glowing there as he surveyed the beasts encircled before him._

_Urde despised monsters—or Fiends as they had come to be called—far more than even Aera did, and when they ended up getting the group into terrible trouble, cursed their kin in some of the foulest swears any of them ever heard. When there were no monsters in sight then he was quite different; oddly serene and crazy intelligent, the exact opposite of me. Aera had teased him a bit about it: "The Old Sage," but she was always stopped by the incredible knowing look in his eyes, which was intensified by their unnatural color—a mixture of golden and deep orange–like drops of liquid amber._

_In so many ways he was unique, even as a looked down upon Hume. The weapon Urde fought with now was one such trait. The blade had a tip shaped exactly like a sharpened arrowhead and was rather obvious, though short and very thin. It was the color of tarnished silver and a magnificent ruby expertly chiseled into the shape of a rose was implanted directly into the hilt. The sword was dangerously double-edged and the edges were as red as new-spilt blood in the light of a setting sun. Thus Urde had named it the Blood Rose and then thanked the young woman for giving it to him as a birthday present._

_Although neither he nor Aera knew who had forged that blade. She had found it caked in a layer of dust in an abandoned temple during one of their old Fiend-hunting trips and ended up presenting it to her best friend. Though Aera might have been able to utilize it herself, she never actually attempted to do so, and the moment Urde touched the blade, it was as though it had been made specifically for him._

_And despite how utterly ancient the Blood Rose might have been, it wasn’t even dull when Urde began using it, and the weapon hasn’t shown any sign of doing so yet. He swung it effortlessly now and sliced a Fiend's tusks clean off, causing the creature to reel in agony._

_But the weight of a seven-foot tall muscular Minotaur like Rinn lying across his back made Urde's fighting prowess suffer some very drastic changes. Watching the battle like this, it was only a matter of time before the Fiends completely overwhelmed him, regardless of how naturally skilled he was. Impulsively, Aera jumped into the fray and broke in to his rescue, leaping unnaturally far and landed directly in front of the monsters' line of attack. Her sudden appearance made them give pause, reeling away from the new arrival with a cascade of snarls._

_"Hark, the red-haired angel has descended from thy heavens," Urde’s hate-filled glare dissipated as he smiled at me gratefully and there was an odd look in his eyes that the young woman could not quite interpret._

_Urde's normally calming smile just seemed to make her temper flare instead, failing to provide the same effect on her while in the midst of fighting for survival. "We don't have time for joking here!" Aera couldn't help snapping at him; she just too tense to calm down and the woman was not accustomed to holding in her anger. But Urde was well used to Aera's outbursts by this point in their friendship and simply grinned at her, quickly losing the 'wise' appearance she had teased him so often about in the past. "Put Rinn somewhere safe then come back and help me exterminate these things."_

_"By your leave, oh savior from the skies," Urde bowed ridiculously low-probably partly because of Rinn-and sped off, the Rose glimmering brightly by his side. Aera turned to face the horde defiantly to moment he slipped away from her line of sight. My resolve of was steady, no matter what happened here she would never dare to run, nor would she ever leave Urde to fight them all alone. Feeling the weight of the world lain across her shoulders, Aera thrust her pale blade out before her and charged into the hell that awaited, glowing like malicious ghosts in the light of the grinning moons above her head._

_Howls of agony filled the clearing; thick, clammy monster blood spurted along the length of the woman's long sword. Beasts fell one after another in quicker succession but she would not risk wasting any time to celebrate her small victories. For monsters continued to appear seemingly from nowhere, each new group more unusual than the last, flooded into line of vision. Aera saw screaming Bone-Beasts (wicked skeletal creatures that had the bodies of bulls, wolves, and tigers), flocks of Gore-Crows (evil black herons which tore apart their prey with spiked wings), and others which she couldn't even begin to describe. The whole situation was verging on overkill, but they continued to advance on her front regardless. Even when the powerful presence of Urde reappeared beside her, Aera felt the brooding fear close its black grip on her mind. For every Fiend the two of them destroyed, at least five more took its place, until they were trapped. A circle of Fiends had formed just out of reach, a shape that disturbingly resembled a hangman's noose._

_Both of them were now crisscrossed with innumerable wounds and Urde had begun to notice the true weight of his weapon, a sign of great exhaustion and pain. The pair's own blood joined that of the creatures they had risked so much pain to slay. But they weren't the only ones now suffering from the Fiend's arrival. The once-lovely field was dyed red and was now rotting before their very eyes. Trees that just hours before were beautifully emerald, browned deeply and the leaves curled up and disintegrated into nothingness as Aera watched them. "And now," She thought grimly, "we'll die with the forest." She waited tensely for the wall of death to advance on the both of them once again, but it remained still and silent as if listening for some unheard call._

_And when the sign finally came, the swordswoman couldn’t help but be shocked._

_The section of corpse-risen monsters Aera had kept watch on so determinedly this whole time turned their backs on her with a sudden gesture and bowed their heads low to a pallid man wearing violet fringed armor and a sleek black cape. Every inch of the mysterious man spoke of ill-intent, urging some hidden part of her to attack him. His thin lips and beetle-black eyes twitched sporadically a nothing as if dancing for an invisible puppeteer. The man's fingers restlessly traced patterns of smoke in the air. He had appeared so suddenly, it was almost as if he had simply fallen from the sky._

_A chill stirred to life within Aera at the mere glimpse of him. This was a human, in league with Fiends, the cursed underlings of the Demon God. How could this be? Yet here he was walking along so confidently among Fiends, with a rotting saber-toothed wolf trotting faithfully next to him, snapping at any Fiend that dared to raise their head a fraction. But when she saw the miniature, demonic black wings rising from his shoulder blades, she realized at once what his true purpose here was. Humans who betrayed the order and peace of the world joined with the Demon God Draj would become powerful demon lords bound in flesh and soul service to their new god. Those bound by this bond would seek out others of their kind, humans, to recruit as well._

_Aera subtly glanced sideways at Urde, noticing the snap understanding in his glittering eyes. He was already well aware who here this monster was really after._

_The demon appeared to be in no hurry, but when he saw the woman's face, his black eyes sparked with apparent disgust and he quickened his steps. Just as quickly as he had appeared, he spun to face down her comrade and announced in an overloud voice, "Visitors of the Deadwood within the Fiend boundaries, now that you've run across a portion of our army we cannot let you leave this place alive. Surrender and your torture will be slightly less painful." The demon's voice was thin and smooth, reminiscent of a black snake sliding through water. Although, from his bored and monotone attitude, I guessed that this declaration was merely traditional for your typical trespassers._

_"White Heart," Urde cursed in his face without hesitation or remorse. His mood changed dramatically in the face of hordes of Fiends, but as Aera had learned long ago, Urde never stopped thinking. "I remember seeing you before. You're a former general of the country of Gradien, Realm of Power, Darren Cardoon. What broken lies could persuade such a skilled, loyal soldier to turn his back on everything he ever believed in?" Urde's voice dropped a couple notes darker and amber eyes narrowed on the demon._

_Urde made a vague gesture as if about to sheath his sword and tip lowered slowly, but there was something rather odd about it. Aera didn't say anything, knowing that her words just might completely ruin Urde's plan, whatever it may be._

_"The Dark One gave me some trinkets for aiding him," As Darren spoke, a black spear with carvings of agonized faces etched along its tip appeared in his cold hands in a blaze of violet light. "I'm much stronger now too, stronger than any human, the pact made me so. I am no longer an inferior human being; I have evolved far beyond them, as a Demon Lord! With the help of other demon lords, eventually the Demon God will gain freedom; there is no stopping it because all of the plans are in motion. You should join too Urde, with your power, you could become an incredible Demon Lord. Like those of us who have seen it sooner, you could be part of the grand plan, instead of hanging around with filth like her."_

_Aera's face contorted with fury and hissed a number of foul swears in quick succession, but it was Urde's cold voice that delivered the greatest insult of all, "Sad, you were once a general. And now you’ve become nothing but a pet."_

_As Urde had suspected, the demon's pride fetched higher on his list of priorities than manners and that being called a dog to someone else's bidding would wound that pride pretty easily._

_Roaring in anger, Darren broke the negotiations (not that there ever were much in the first place) and lunged at Urde, spear held stiff. Normally, a demon would be too fast for a human to dodge, but Urde always had a plan. At a movement, the Blood Rose was thrust forward at an angle, causing the spear to glance off its side harmlessly. Urde caught the weapon mid-strike and spiraled it toward the sky; apparently, Darren's attack was what he was hoping for. The chance to bait him into a trap was one way to catch a demon off-guard. Had Darren been just a tiny bit weaker or just half a second slower, the Blood Rose would have been buried in his throat. But despite Urde's quick reaction, the spear made a long, vicious slash across his right eye, from the jawbone to his hairline._

_During Urde's momentary pause, Darren yanked away his spear and dashed backward toward the Fiend vanguard that eyed the two trespassers warily. He stared disdainfully at Urde who had used his hand to stem the flow of blood and with the other guarded himself with the much too small Rose. Aera had dashed to his side instantly, to see if he was alright and they stood their ground, back to back. She held her crescent shield symmetrical to his Rose to add to their less than ideal defenses._

_"Sonuva-" Urde started, though his face was twisted into pain rather than any real anger. He trembled, blood running down his arm from a pain that I could not imagine. "Get him down here! I'll kill him!" Aera was just as angry as he was at the new injury, angrier probably, considering her temperament; but she had a bad feeling about his cut. The way Urde was shaking…it was like the spear point did a great deal more damage than it should have with a cut that small and shallow. However, though the woman wanted to speak out, someone was going to answer that question for her instead._

_"Like it, filth?" Darren sneered like a grinning serpent, all caution lost and thrown to the winds, "My beloved spear, the Viper, is coated with a very special poison you know. You can have as much as you want but it can't kill you, just make people wish that it did." Darren stood high and lean, thrusting out his chest and attempting looking more dignified and more like the general he used to be. "I am a Seeker. I have never failed before and never will, even if my target happens to be writhing in pain by the time I bring him back." Darren's cold smirk strengthened and he watched, triumphant as Urde sank down to his knees, too agonized to reply. Again he turned towards Aera and again, a look of utter disgust appeared there that startled her enough to take one involuntary step back._

_She tried to sound as furious as she usually did but willpower never seemed to help Aera, she was just too worried about Urde and his suffering. "So you were after him. What does Draj want so much that would permit him to go after us?"_

_Darren curled his lip in rage, "You dare speak the Lord's name, wretched hag!? What He does is no business of your filthy race. You are even worse than the Gifted Ones in their fancy towers and long broken pride. I won't stop at killing you, I'll grind your bones to ash and let the wolves have whatever's left, and that should keep your spirit from ever ascending!"_

_That one really got to her, unlike all of his previous pointess jabs. Keeping any spirit from ascending or…descending to their afterlife was the greatest sin one could ever commit, as it apparently turned your own soul rotten in the end. Apparently Darren was so twisted that he didn't really care about the consequences. Aera glanced at Urde out of the corner of her eye, he was motionless on the ground and she couldn't tell whether he was conscious or not. The woman fervently hoped that he was. Darren said this massive array of Fiends clustered here was a "portion of our army." If the whole thing attacked on Cailista, many people would die and more humans would be taken captive. If Urde escaped and warned them, they might have a chance, and Urde had to leave before the demon could take him. As for Aera, well…she would buy her friend some precious time…_

_Aera had no choice to immediately put her plan into action. Keeping her eyes on Darren and Urde at the same time wasn't easy, but she managed to shake Urde to consciousness and told him about her plan. "You must hurry," Aera told him in a hushed tone, wary of the keen senses of the Demon Lord. "If Draj is building an army, then they must be warned! Go, I'll buy you some time." He shook his head angrily and Aera knew that Urde didn't want to leave her here alone, never thinking much of his own safety. But once he realized that his friend wasn't going to change her mind, he nodded jerkily and turned away with palpable hesitation, but not before she saw his tears._

_They were stained red with his own blood._

_Before anything could react, the two of them cut a small path through a weak patch of Fiends and Urde followed it, still strong enough to destroy anything in his way despite the bloody wound. Watching him retreat reluctantly over the rise, Aera carried out what might've been her last act. Reaching back slowly, wanting to savor all of the sweet drama, she whisked free her cloak from her shoulders and let it sail into the moonlight and over the heads of my adversaries. Where the woman's grimy cloak had once been, a pair of flawless dove-white wings arched above her like a queen's feathered cape. Grimly, the angel readied her sword and launched into battle._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is...a very old story and used to be written in first-person. Took a lot of editing to fix that.


	3. New Wind

 

_It has been two years since the Deep Wood incident. Upon arriving back in the Mother Continent Cailista, Urde Cero Rakshaza and Commander Rinn Advarde journeyed to the Capitols of Tielos, Bon Carro, Serra, Gradien, and Baelbacia to spread word and warning of the massing of a Fiend army. These warnings were quite nearly ignored and the noble houses (believing that the Holy Gate far to the south would protect them) sent Urde and Rinn away. The few supporters of the Fiends' threat failed to reach the internal government offices, leaving Urde Rakshaza without contacts to fall back on. As the pair's attempts to garner support became more invasive, a bounty was finally released on the 'troublemakers', the empire of Bon Carro's decree being the most harsh of them all. During this time, the normally peaceful county of Baelbacia, ruled by the Holy Twins, launched a sudden assault on the neighboring monarchy of Neara. Making a declaration of war, Neara and Baelbacia attacked each other constantly, each time growing more violent. During winter a standstill occurred. The Holy Twins and the Queen of Neara agreed to meet under the flag of truce to discuss a peaceful alternative._

_-Joseph Rain,_

_Historian_

* * *

 

 

"Neara becomes more different with each passing day, how depressing. So this must be the merchant city Reicaar." Two men waited in a line leading up to the gates of a great city. Towers of white stone rose from the battlements and the flag of Neara waved merrily from every spire in Reicaar. The raiment depicted the head of a beautiful grey stag with a spear clenched tightly in its mouth upon a plane of green. One of the two travelers, an eighteen year old human boy, stared at the guarded entrance with a rare yet certain clarity, watching the pike men roughly check a woman's passport into the city. Guards shivered uncomfortably as delicate, white snowflakes whistled past their eyes. The small white dots coated the barren, brown earth in a spark of sprinkled beauty in an otherwise desolate landscape.

"This might be a little easier than we first thought, you were right about the celebration dulling their wits," The taller man said this happily, rubbing his hands to together as the cold air sank into his bones. He was a Minotaur with a thin layer of earthy brown fur and stood higher than most any human, rippling muscles encircling his limbs. At least seven-foot four, the demi-human was certainly an intimidating sight to anyone who didn’t actually know him, but close acquaintances found it easy to see past his facade. The Minotaur was not cloaked, rather bearing full battle regalia and a triangular Bon Carrion great-helm perfectly suited to sit between his spiraling olive horns. A large curving battle-axe with gilded spirals was strapped across his back in a somewhat menacing fashion. On the other hand, the strong vision of power and confidence was ruined by his face, caked with a child's excitement.

The boy's garb was terrible by comparison; worn leather armor that offered no more protection than a farmer's clothing, and a thin cloak that was as tattered and ripped as a beggar's. The only thing he carried that had considerable interest was a large, shiny black case that weighed him down so little, it could've been empty. "Um…I'm not sure I like this plan anymore," He seemed nervous for a moment, fiddling with the straps on his case.

"Come on, you were the one who thought it up anyway," His friend encouraged him in a jovial voice and patted—harshly shoved really—his back in unneeded encouragement. "Besides you said the guards were well and truly tipsy enough from last night’s big party over their last battle not to notice."

"THAT isn't what I'm worried about, this is sort of embarrassing. If anyone found out…Alright fine, I'll do it. Who were we supposed to be again?"

"I am Commander Rineas Phage, working under General Cornelia Centaria," The Minotaur explained slowly and deliberately, the slight edge to his voice suggesting that he disliked being made to remember in such a way. "And of course, you are my oh so snarky prisoner, the famed and feared Rogue Eagle; captain Earoden who turned bandit just a mere week ago. Imagine what they'll think when they find out Earoden is still out there." The 'commander' chuckled quietly as he noticed the sway to the pike men’s movements. "I wonder if they have my head on a poster yet. I can hardly wait to see what kind of shoddy reward they've offered."

" _What did your parents do to you?_ " His companion thought wonderingly. He cared nothing for the exact size of the bounty placed upon their true identities, but if anyone knew who he really was, there could be heaps of trouble to deal with. Nervously, the boy messed with his bangs, trying to keep them out of his face. He didn't like the color, as it confused him more than it should. He had always hated yellow like his companion so hated inaction.

The 'prisoner' took a head count of the line. It was much shorter since the last time he'd checked which didn't lift his spirits. There was only an old elderly Gena couple and their daughter left in front, all three wearing expensive finery and groomed well. They took a moment to pause and stared at the supposed "captive" disdainfully and proceeded to show their papers to the guards impatiently.

"Haughty gits," The 'commander' muttered, cracking his knuckles noisily.

"Um . . . Rineas," 'Earoden' distracted him from the nobles, trying to change the subject. "I've got a funny feeling this isn't going to work out right. The hair is definitely too yellow in color and Earoden is a heck of lot older than me-"

"Listen to me for a second. We really did the best with what we had okay?" 'Rineas' smiled weakly in a brief attempt to reassure him. "Sure maybe your hair tone is a bit too yellow and the eyes are a little messed up but-"

"What do you mean? What did you do to my eyes? I know you can't use Power very well but if there's any permanent damage, you're going to pay for it!" The boy made an annoyed hissing sound behind his teeth and glowered at the Minotaur.

"I think I went over the edge this time. I'm really sorry about it, but I did try my best to make the change look natural. I know you kind of dislike blue—just like you hate most every color—but they're kind of...electric-looking."

"Crap. I should've let someone else take care of this. I knew I shouldn't have asked you to make a disguise, Rinn."

But there was no time to fix the damage, the nobles had finished filling out their papers and waved goodbye to the guard in a detached and uninterested way. The bronze archway lifted into the air and the twin steel gates below it swung open wide to permit the passengers. No sooner had the nobles stepped through safely than the lock released and everything fell back to its original order. It was a tedious way of admitting visitors, but it did prevent people from jumping through without permission and Neara was known to be strong with security sometimes to a fault.

The swaying pike men appeared before them to check their papers. They did not seem to realize anything wrong. This was probably because of the definite tangy odor of alcohol drifting from their bodies.

"Would you please show us-?"

　

"Stand aside!" The 'commander' boomed in a loud, important sounding voice. "I am Commander Rineas back from my mission in the wild lands. The Code Raven mission."

"Earoden" grimaced as the "plan" progressed. Sure, it was true that the 'commander' bore a striking resemblance to Rineas, though they were not in the slightest bit related to each other. Still, it was also true that he was a terrible actor and followed his pre-made "script" very loosely decided on by the two of them.

"But what about the-" The poor man didn’t get the opportunity to finish his sentence as the Rineas look alike stepped forward threateningly with a still rising voice

"Leaving at short notice prevented me from obtaining such fish wrap, you fool! Everyone should know that by now!"

"Earoden" winced again. He was overdoing it! Back off of the guard a little!

All the people in line behind them stared, trying to figure out what was happening. The guard shook his head and stood up a little straighter, seeming to get over his brief moment of confusion.

"But without the papers I can't-"

"I was out on an important mission, maggot. Didn't you hear me? I didn't have time to get any bloody papers! And if I'm late then General Centaria will have to take it out on you for causing it!"

The guard blanched at the thought of the general's anger upon him and seemed lost for words. Still he didn't move to open the gate; he must've dealt with fakers like them before.

The 'commander' paused, unsure, until his so-called prisoner elbowed him in the stomach.

"You want the notorious Rogue Eagle locked up don't you?"

Surprisingly, these were the words that finally got the soldier to nod his head. He turned and signaled to the guard house (more like a shack really, but whatever) and through the window another caught the movement and began hoisting the archway. They used a large array of pulleys that didn't seem to make sense until seen in action. The security in Reicaar was known to barely ever make complete sense until one worked with the system directly.

Once inside Reicaar they felt much more at ease. The gate and presence of people felt safer to them. The 'prisoner' insisted that the first place that they visit would be a pub where he could change back to his original colors unseen and where they could gather information.

It took quite some time to find one in the large city but eventually came to rest at The Siren's Call near the middle of town. Many people crowded the entrance including the blonde-haired fair Gena of which the 'prisoner' was disguised and the dark-skinned, hawk-eyed Riade who leaned leisurely against the outside wall. The Siren's Call was painted sea-green with designs of pink and orange coral.

The boy and his companion pushed open the door and stepped inside. The door swung shut on oiled hinges, blocking out the sunlight. They had expected the bar to be dank and quiet, but they were wrong. The entire bar was a hubbub of noise and confusion. At one table a large group of Minotaur and Worgs (half-dog, half-man) laughed insanely loud at what must've been a hilarious joke. A Riade and his group of buddies practiced using magic, making tiny fireworks shows over their soup, occasionally setting someone else's sleeve or such on fire in their inexperience.

The only human was sitting at the bar, sipping thoughtfully out of his pint, staring at a group of black-cloaked men in the corner of the room. He had deep brown, long hair that was pulled into a ponytail and his coolly amber eyes glimmered like tiny fires, piercing through the candlelight. Having nowhere else to put it, he had jammed his great sword into the floorboards beside him. It more resembled like a gigantic butcher knife than anything else, with a wicked black edge curved to resemble a monster's canine. His three initials were scratched harshly into the hilt with a strangely elegant scrawl: F.C.R.

The newcomers sat down beside him. The boy placed no order but turned deliberately toward the other Hume and said quietly, "The Eagle is here. We made it in, Felix."

"Took you long enough," Felix grinned widely, "Do you know how drunk I could've gotten waiting for you, Urde?"

"Did you?"

The warrior turned his pint in the air, watching the tan liquid through the glass with slight fascination. "Nah, I'm more thorough than that. We've still got a few things we can relate to. You wanted me to get you to the Queen's Brass Guard and I can't rest until I succeed at that. I got you to the Queen's secret council city and you figured out how to get in. After all, I could forge a gate pass for you two, but the guards would know it was a fake right away, even with my skill." He paused and pointed at Urde's face with a smile, "You look ridiculous by the way."

"I-It's not my fault! Rinn did all of the changes. If the guards weren't so tipsy, we would've been caught right away!" Urde felt humiliated. Why did he have to end up looking like a Gena with a crazy birth defect?

Rinn tried to defend himself, "They wouldn't have noticed anyway, they were dumber than that snooty noble we met in Bon Carro. You know the one I beat up? And it doesn't look _that_ bad."

But Felix wasn't listening to him. "I can see why you'd want to change back, no use in keeping it. After all, the common thief might mistake your eyes with sapphires and try taking them right out of your head." He made a strange sucking noise sounding convincingly like his example.

Urde's face went through a variety of emotions, finally settling on annoyed. "S-shut up! With you running around with your giant butcher knife, I'm amazed there's not a bounty: Mad Knife Hunter, wanted dead or alive. Crimes: drunken rages, stealing eyes-" Urde's sentence cut off as Felix's playful punch sent him flying of the bar stool. He came up laughing about it; just a joke after all. _Glad to be back,_ Urde thought to himself.

"Brothers," Rinn murmured to the air, "always a pain."

It was true that Urde and Felix shared the same dead family but whether they were alike to each other was a different story. Urde was usually quiet, thoughtful and had earned the nickname "Old Sage" from Aera. Felix was stronger, taller and infinitely more charismatic to people around him. At least, this piece of information was according to the flocks of women he tended to collect without really meaning to. He was an all-around expert in battle tactics and enjoyed the thrill of fighting tough opponents. But his eyes were the same shade as Urde's true ones; a defiant amber glow like the ember of a dying flame.

"So the Covenant of the Dove disbanded?" Felix was asking Rinn in a whisper. Urde straightened up the stool and sat back down to listen. The Dove Covenant was Rinn's secret society. They carried out anti-Fiend missions to continue to ensure everyone on Cailista's safety and Urde used to be a member until the incident two years ago. After the details of the top-level Deep Wood mission incident got out to the other members, they panicked. It took a great deal of effort for Rinn to keep them together, but after a while he let them go with an oath to keep what they saw in the Coven a secret. Urde left too, to fulfill his promise to Aera and warn of the army. But it was a wasted effort, no one had believed him.

"Of course," Rinn replied simply after ordering a pint for himself. "I couldn't keep the others together anymore. It was like trying to stop mice from fleeing from a hawk. And knowing that the Dark One was recruiting more demon lords didn't help their already shaky confidence. Those demon lords—or Seekers, as they call themselves—are getting more relentless. I tried to contact one of my human subordinates after I released him, but those blasted demon lords got to him first and I didn't know what to say to his family."

"What was his name?" Felix asked. His voice was barely audible over the constant rabble in the Siren's Call.

"Kurtis Thorn. One of my strongest and most trusted Humes. When I got to his house, it was smashed to pieces and I found the note the Seekers left for me, warning me that I'd be seeing more of this kind of thing. I was only glad that his family hadn't been there." Rinn paused as the bartender passed him his mug and moved out of sight. Urde nodded sadly, he had been to the Thorn residence with Rinn. The house had barely even resembled a house by the time they arrived. He still remembered the shattered glass and the portrait of Kurtis and his family, they were all tall and lean with bright orange hair that made them stand out anywhere. The Thorn family was his friends; he'd hate it if something happened to them.

"That actually reminds me of something. The Deadwood incident," Felix reflected for a moment. "Ever since you two came back from Morrian that day, all the demons began attacking more often…You said before you went there that you tracking something. But you never told me the details. What was it, Urde?"

Urde hesitated. He didn't want to talk about it truthfully, the memory was still too painful and it had been his first failed mission. "We were tracking…a Hunter, one of the elite Fiends. It seems now that the Hunter was probably never there to begin with, that someone laid the scent trail to trick us. Or trap us." Urde knew that the Seekers had interest in any human who could defeat Fiends. But the number of creatures that he had defeated in the clearing was sure to draw some attention.

"What about you?" Rinn said to Felix, eager to change the subject. "How goes your work in Baelbacia? Anyone suspicious we should know about?"

Felix glared at the wall in a decidedly stony response. "I wouldn't act so cheery about Baelbacia, Rinn. They're serious about war you know. It might be postponed now but I'll bet anything that they'll break the truce and attack. It's been done before and there's no love between the Baelbacian Twins and Queen Rigel. We all know she’s a half blood, and while I don’t really give a damn about it, the "holy" twins will definitely think along different lines." He sipped from the pint and disgustedly pushed it away from him. "Someone in Baelbacia is pushing for war, convincing the higher ranked generals to help. I've been trying to track 'em down. And that Warmonger is working in the army somewhere, working with such caution it puts your beloved Coven to shame."

"But surely," Urde pointed out, "it would be difficult to track this 'Warmonger' down if he's in the Baelbacia army and even more so if he's near someone important, like the Twins."

"That's right," Felix said. "So I've taken a temporary position as assistant captain to keep tabs on my unseen friend. I convinced the captain to let me take a holiday to go see my 'family'. And, as you know, I've also assumed the false name Greystone so that if I screw up, that Warmonger can't trace it back to you. The way he's so cautious makes me suspicious that he might be a demon lord in disguise or something. But with the Holy Gate working fine, I'm not sure how distracting the countries with war would help the Fiends any. As long as the Gate stands between us and their dark continent of Morrian, they can't make move against us."

"There is a passageway through the Holy Gate, Felix," Urde said to him. "It's incredibly secret and requires a pass code to open it. Only Rinn and I know the code and the Fiends know that we do, after all our coming and going between Cailista and Morrian. It separates us from the Fiends, if the Gate weren't there then…"

Rinn blanched at the thought. "We can't go to Morrian anymore with the Fiends swarming like that and the fact that they're all looking for us…" He trailed off uncertainly. There was a tense gap in the conversation where the table of Worgs broke into laughter again. Their pause was broken when Rinn stood up suddenly, almost knocking over a number of other stools. "I have something to take care of in this city, Urde. I won't see you for a while, so, good luck!" Swinging his battleaxe with little abandon, Rinn swept out of the Siren's Call. His sudden and flashy exit left the other customers quiet and staring.

"Felix?" Urde started tentively.

"Hmm? What, are you miffed about the eye joke?"

"No, it's not that. It's . . . Seekers can pass through the gate wall right?" Urde traced the grain on the bar uncomfortably.

"Of course they can," Felix sighed softly, his face transforming into a grim mask. "The gate was made to stop Fiends, but not traitors. They can fly right through the energy barrier, that’s how they were able to reach the Thorn residence anyway. But you already know that." He raised his arm up to the light where Urde could see a long-healed scar trailing from his wrist to the elbow.

"My last encounter with those _things_ ," Felix explained solemnly. "Rinn is right you know. They are getting more persistent. These days, I get three attacks per month and I hate it. More humans are disappearing and the governments don't have explanations for it. As if human families were scarce already, now they have a Demon God and his lords to deal with." On that note, Felix smacked his fist against an open palm as if the idea of fighting a god excited him.

"Don't the countries know about Seekers? I mean, they should know that demon lords can pass through the gate right?" Urde fumbled with his words as an idea of what happened crept up on him.

"Some do. Or, at least, did. Gradien's Prime Minister was going to announce their existence to his people at his last speech but mysteriously dropped dead on the way to the podium. It was later found that his coffee was poisoned." Felix stared at the pint suspiciously as if thinking the same about its contents. "Ricardo was a friend of mine and gave the inside info on his speech the day before it occurred. I get around enough to make small talk with ministers so that we can decide what to do next.

"Anyways Urde, good luck with the Queen. I'm following a lead on a Seeker in this city so you might see me around! I'll bring you back one of his eyes. Hopefully they're blue."

"Umm . . . Felix, speaking of eyes," Urde pointed at his face. "Rinn left rather suddenly, so could you fix this?"

"Hah! I completely forgot about that! Alright, hold still." Urde felt a momentary disturbance in the airflow as though the room had stretched taunt like a balloon, the tell-tale sign of a Connection. Magic was, in a sense, simply telepathically connecting oneself to the massive source of energy known as Power. It was common knowledge that its Source rested in the center of the planet, and that the gods themselves drew upon it to fuel their magic. Power was also present in everyday things, like one's own backyard, though much less potent. Thus magic was dubbed the Art of Connection based on how it was harnessed.

Gena had the greatest skill of the Connection of the Power. Humans were excellent casters as well, but did not possess the incredible skill of the Gena. Riade's capabilities were just beneath that of Humes and the races rudely referred to as Half-Beasts had little magical power. Urde had faith in Felix's abilities, even when his vision temporarily blacked out. His brother was more adept than most Humes and Urde had even less magical power than Rinn.

Felix, finished in only a few seconds, dug around in his pack for a second, then brought out a shattered piece of mirror. "Take a look," was all he said.

Everything seemed to be in order. Urde's hair had darkened considerably and returned to its original sloppiness and his eyes were amber again. The one thing that stood out the most was a gray-black scar starting from his hairline to his right jaw, slashing through his right eye. It was a vicious memento from his encounter with a vicious Seeker two years back. As some sort of side-effect of the poison in the demon's blade, the cut simply refused to heal. Not even Felix's Power could help. Urde handed the mirror back to Felix. "It’s fine. I like it."

Felix hopped down from the stool and yanked his knife-sword out of the floorboards. He swung his pack over one shoulder and made for the door. He gave Urde one leisure wave and sped out of sight. As soon as the warrior was gone, the world seemed to get much darker. If what Rinn and Felix said was true then the Seekers would all be looking for him now, attempting to take the Gate Code from him. Felix also said he was following a lead on a Seeker _in this city._ But what if the hunter became the hunted and the Seeker had meant to come here? Many people would consider him paranoid, but Urde couldn't help thinking this way; it was in his nature. A new wind was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember the year I wrote this. I put so much thought into it...


	4. The Skilled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, only now do I realized how short this chapter is. Oh well.

_~~Three Days Later_

* * *

 

_The flag of truce was denied and the Holy Twins refused to meet in person, believing that the Queen would attack them at the slightest opening. This accusation was created when the Twins received a tip that a human captain was captured mere miles from the capitol, Sependia. As this attack came from the direction of Nearan capitol Calen, the Twins blamed them for the deed. Adding to Baelbacia's predicament, General Cracius Veritas was attacked and killed by unknown assailants. He was, at the time, negotiating with the technological superpower of Gradien over trade. Queen Rigel then sent the famed and feared General Cornelia Centaria to bolster the Nearan Gate with the Stagieria Army to hold off the invasion that was sure to come from the now violent Twins. Queen Rigel prepared to journey to the merchant city Reicaar for a meeting of generals to discuss their next move._

_-Joseph Rain,_

_Historian_

* * *

 

 

The Baelbacian captain watched with awe and reverence from his office window as the Twins' Procession gathered at the gates of Sependia, the Capitol City, as the setting sun leaked a path of color across the horizon. They were both Gena and were exceptionally beautiful even for their race. Brother and Sister dressed in trailing white robes marked with the Baelbacia's symbol, the orange rose and their hair was as gold as sun, reflecting the light not unlike mirrors. The Twins eyes were a blue deeper than an ocean and just as filled with life.

They stood before the kneeled people of Sependia, offering last words of knowledge before they disappeared from the city. Citizens, upon hearing of the Twins' departure, begged them to stay in the city, but of course their duty was far too important to stay. It was the solemn duty of the Twins to guide their generals in the field of battle. The citizens knew this, but the knowledge gave them no pleasure. High General Kiera the Sage Knight was dispatched immediately to watch the borders for any sign of Nearan attack, paving the way as protection for the Twins’ retinue.

The captain was not Gena however, which made him much less respected in Sependia and just about anywhere in Baelbacia. He was a Kreous, the winged bird-men of the south and as belonging to the Half-Beast category forced him to err heavily on physical strength. But Captain Dainin came to Sependia to make a name for himself, to turn around his blemished family record.

With to do but fill out reports to the generals, Dainin paused to stare out his other window to the training grounds.

That was the wrong idea.

His sharp bird eyes picked out the newest member of his troop, an eighteen year old young boy whose family hobby seemed to be annoying those in command. Dark brown hair. Fiery eyes. Always sneering at people whom he disliked; finding witty replies was never a problem for him. But getting rid of the boy was against the question, no matter how much Dainin disliked him. As the Supreme General himself had seen the Hume’s potential, there was nothing Dainin could do but hand over the place of Deputy Captain to a mere child.

At the moment, the boy was entertaining some of the other soldiers with magic tricks: summoning a tiny dragon made entirely of flames that spiraled gracefully around his head, laughingly changing his companions' skin colors, levitating himself for everyone to see…The list went on.

Dainin sniffed, sticking his beak arrogantly into the air. That was the other reason why he hated the newcomer, his unnatural ability with magic, the way it seemed to react to his every thought. It was skill that surpassed any Gena. "Why is he so adept with the Power?" Dainin wondered lightly, a spark of hidden jealousy permeating his thoughts. Dainin admitted that he had no skill; it was an effort to create even an ember. The Source was too difficult to reach for a Half-Beast, it seemed. Or maybe it wasn't magic in particular, but rather that the young deputy excelled at everything that Dainin didn’t.

Dainin was so deeply absorbed in his thoughts he didn't hear the knocking on his door that grew louder every second until a booming voice sounded from the outside hall.

"If a certain captain does not answer the door, he will in a much bigger mess than he already is," The angry and easily recognizable voice of General Cackral shouted, quickly bringing the captain to his feet.

"C-come in sir." Dainin hurriedly turned away from the window and quickly shuffled the papers on his desk into a fairly neat stack. He wouldn't dare appear unprofessional in front of the Supreme General.

The delicate framework of the doorway seemed to wobble as the great Minotaur, Cackral entered, dipping his horned head to fit through the too-small pathway. Another person entered behind him, unseen through the general's bulk. Cackral moved to the only other chair as though he intended to sit, but eyed its size and thought better of it, preferring to stand instead. He seemed to fill the uncomfortable little office with a sense of power and authority. It was only until the general seemed more relaxed that Dainin could even bring himself to look at him.

Even for a Minotaur, Cackral would tower over any who stood before him. It would hurt one's neck to attempt to stare into his eyes, though no one would want to challenge his stare, even if they could. Despite the almost ridiculous height and thundering voice, Cackral was rather handsome for his species, sleeker and shinier. Like most war generals, he garbed himself in brilliant bronze scale armor, adorned with sashes of blue and gold alongside many various war medals: The broken star, dagger fang, phoenix feather, and the copper heart. Greaves and gauntlets were polished to best of one's ability and the indigo horse-hair plume of his helm sparkled in the lamplight.

The general rifled through the reports on the desk in slight curiosity, then tossed them back down and grunted with forced approval. His mood was decidedly grim so Dainin's caution stayed his impulses.

"And what do I owe the pleasure of this rare event?" Dainin asked, lowering his voice and sugar-coating every word for his own safety, trying not to provoke the General.

Cackral gave a soft growl, a sign of disapproval. "Cut the crap Dainin. All of your ratings are at an all-time low."

Dainin was all too aware of the tense gap between every sentence.

"Why is that sir?"

"Oh please, you know why. Your soldiers are receiving more training from your deputy than from you, magical _and_ non-magical."

"I have difficulty concentrating on work when he's insulting me, sir."

"Do you realize, Dainin, he is more skilled in battle than you, and commands greater respect from the soldiers?"

"I can't get anything done with him and his-"

Cackral smacked one hand against the window as he observed the training grounds. "Blaming your failures on your strongest and most successful warrior is not a healthy act, Dainin. After all, every time I turn around, it's the newcomer doing all the work!" Cackral's voice turned serious and quiet, "If this keeps up, I will find a replacement captain and you will be discharged from the army."

"All it ever looks like he's doing is showing off." As soon as Dainin voiced these words he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

At those words the third presence in the room gave a soft chuckle and Dainin noticed her for the first time. When one first laid eyes on her, they would first assume she was a Gena, because of her unmatched beauty, easily beyond that of the Twins. But because of the unnatural color of her braided silver hair and solemn green eyes, she could not possibly be. Nor was she a Riade by the glowing paleness of her skin, graceful like mother-of-pearl, and possessed flawlessness beyond that of most humans. Clad in dark, rough leathers that did nothing to hide her beauty, she was incredibly wondrous.

"Oh, what a shame," The beautiful woman whispered sarcastically and Dainin could tell she didn't believe it was a shame at all. Her voice was perfect; the voice of a goddess, but it had a bitter mocking edge. "Too bad, too bad. You two don't like each other do you? Once you're gone, one of the finest warriors I've ever seen will take your place and there'll be nothing you can do about it. _So_ sorry for your loss."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Lyra, he's not out of chances yet," Cackral sighed and Lyra turned to him with a questioning glance as if to say, _Did he even have one to begin with?_

Out loud though she commented, "Even if he is a showoff, he's accomplishing his goal rather nicely." She raised one impressed eyebrow as the warrior on the grounds resumed battle training, knocking aside those who opposed him as though they were children.

At this point Dainin was grasping at straws to stop his deputy from taking his place, "He's far too young for a captain position surely! Not only that, but he’s a newbie in the army nonetheless!"

"I wouldn't call him a newbie but, you do have a point," Cackral admitted at last, his dark mood lessened slightly. "Let me make this clear though, the next time I find your soldiers having to fill in for you while you were out slacking, you _will_ lose your rank. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir," Dainin dipped his head in acknowledgement, accepting the rebuke without protest. The general nodded wordlessly and swept out of the room, disappearing just as quickly as he came. Lyra took one last fascinated glance out the window then followed after Cackral, her movements so graceful that her feet didn't seem to touch the ground.

Dainin sighed and sat back at his desk, brooding a little over their conversation. He'd never thought that the talk would mention his 'expert' rookie. True, he was an excellent fighter, brilliant tactician, and was a highly skilled magician. If it weren't for his incredibly unlikable personality, Dainin wouldn't have that much problem having the warrior in his squad. Could that boy, that _human,_ one day be giving orders to soldiers who would probably obey him without a second thought? Dainin could not let go of this thought, even when the soothing call of Dusk spread it's darkness across the horizon.


	5. Invincible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demon fight? Demon fight.

_Stand back my friends, for the darkness come,_

_Across broken bones burned guilty black._

_Stand back my family, for I shall depart,_

_Alone without my painful sorrows._

_For in battle, I feel no blood, nor tire,_

_But only that lustful song can heal me._

_For I am complete,_

_I am invincible._

_-Fenrir Cero Rakshaza_

_Ex-Supreme General_

* * *

"Again!" The deputy called, trusting out his broad blade like a shield in front of him and waited for the charge. One of the rookie pike men sprinted forward full-tilt, his weapon steady in his hands, a mask of determination etched on his face. The pike smashed into the deputy's blade with the force of a warhorse kick, but the blade did not budge and had he not have known better, the pike man would believe he was charging a castle wall. "Excellent work Justin! Some more training and you'll be able to move me. Who's next?" Justin lowered his pike and turned away, wiping the line of sweat off his forehead, his chance of glory over.

"Sir, we're all tired out," The clustered fighters murmured together, and they were indeed. One of the soldier's pikes had glanced off of the sword-wall from an improper stance and had injured himself and the women had worn themselves out by using far too much speed in the beginning charge. Justin sat down to rest beside them, wishing with all his might that he could have breached that wall, because here that was what it took to be a true expert.

"Yeah," Justin whistled through his teeth, a sign of exhaustion. "None of us could breach the wall with the experience you've got, Greystone sir." Justin felt like he had to be a sucker for the deputy, especially when he had to look him in the eyes. It felt like staring into the heart of an amber fire, soft when need be, but will scorch you if you let down your guard even for a second.

"I keep telling you guys, call me by my name. Just because I'm commanding doesn't mean I don't have feelings y'know." His naturally mocking smile turned a shade colder. "And just because I'm more experienced doesn't mean you can't beat me. Well…maybe not without a bit more training. If all of you think like pessimists during battles then you won't stand a chance against your opponents." Justin straightened slightly when the fire in those eyes seemed to flicker red for the tiniest instant, as though sensing his attitude.

"That's all for today then," He continued slowly. "You can all go and get some well-deserved rest."

* * *

　

Felix Ceron Rakshaza watched as his subordinates retreated back to the quiet of their quarters, completely drained from the day's training. Many of them were skirmish material, but he could tell that they weren't suited for full-out war and that their confidence would be considerably shaky in the days to come. During the charges he'd felt nothing, not even a wobble of the blade and that alone made him disappointed. Then again, perhaps the fault fell to the high-and-mighty Cockatoo filling out reports in his stuffy little office upstairs, sitting back and relaxing while his subordinates did all the dirty work. "Blasted feather-face," He growled softly, thinking of a response to this sudden realization.

He picked out Dainin's office window from the surrounding stone walls and Connected, pulling Power from the very air around him. "Sun-snap," He murmured the spell's activation word, calling upon a tiny ounce of his Power. Felix snapped his fingers and the air seemed to literally ripple, like the surface of pond if you were to toss a stone into it. A second later, a ball of swirling yellow light appeared in his hand, resembling a tiny sun. Bouncing it lightly in his palm, he reeled back, and then threw it straight for the captain's open window. About three feet from entering, it exploded in a miniature blast of glowing orange fireworks, the blazes of them flying into the room. The sounds of yelling and cursing ensued. The myriad flashes blazed like a blast of rainbow fire.

Stifling his laughing with effort, Felix hefted his enormous blade over one shoulder and raced to the castle. His boots crunched swiftly through the early snows that blanketed Baelbacia in a cloak of white. Felix made for the Grand Tower which formed one corner of the square training grounds and led to his personal quarters along with the Twins' chamber at the very top of the spire (now abandoned in their absence). The military tower which Dainin resided in formed another corner and the other two were two hundred foot tall castle guard towers with white stone walls spanning between them. Both of them faced south toward empty plains and the blurry outline of Startop Hill.

Felix paused by the Grand Tower entryway, a pure gold arch carved with emblems of wolves and dragons devouring each other. He stared at the smoking window which was Dainin's office with a touch of mild nervousness. He didn't want to be in sight when Dainin went looking for suspects to his unexpected lightshow. Pushing open the gate he exited the training grounds into castle proper, where he was met by two twin guards who waved at him cheerily.

"Morning to ya Greystone," One of them grunted in a rough western accent. Felix paused, momentarily confused before remembering to nod in thanks. He still wasn't used to his new name, but kept him from being recognized. There were probably demon lord infiltrations in the Baelbacian capitol of Sependia and if they knew he was here, then the result would be unfavored. Though on the other hand, if they knew he was at Sependia then danger directed at Urde would be averted, and his brother would have distraction needed to confront the Queen. Felix enjoyed distractions much more than the typical busywork he was now exposed to. He'd put on quite a few of them as favors to Urde and they'd been rather fun, minus the running and escaping.

Felix continued down the halls, his footsteps echoing everywhere with every movement. When he was in Neara three days ago, the Seeker he'd been following fled from the city seconds before Felix could pin down its movements and disappeared into the woods. The track was impossible to trace and Felix had to give up on chasing it. He captured a wild Zephyr bird and rode it back to Sependia before anyone could get suspicious of his absence.

Subconsciously, Felix spread one hand against the smooth wall as he advanced, admiring the perfect grooming of the blue-gray marble and the effort people must have went through long ago to build it. Intricately carved frames captured the tranquil scenes hung on the halls that skilled artists had painted years back.

Silently, Felix paused at one of the largest paintings, a portrait of a brown-haired human in black armor. He was smiling slyly, a great sword clasped tight in hands garbed in obsidian gauntlets and an intelligent gleam sparkled in his pale blue eyes. Felix read the title below it, the other reason why his name should not be exposed to public: Fenrir Ceron Rakshaza, Ex-Supreme General; Killed in an ambush by pirates on Startop Hill.

Felix found this amusing though, considering that his father would never fall to mere pirates, even if it had been an ambush. He ran one thumb along the flat of his sword which he had named Stardust after the place he had won such a prize. No, the artist had simply guessed at the reason for Fenrir's death, same as everyone, except for the two living witnesses. Ten years since his father's death, ten years since his family was torn to shreds.

Felix strode on, trying and failing not to think of her. The main reason why he fought and seeing that painting had forced him to remember her. The mother of the Rakshaza brothers disappeared soon after they were born, Fenrir had told him. But why? Why did she leave? Felix would continue fighting, to find her and demand to know why, why she had left without a single word. Not even Fenrir had known.

Finally, after several flights of stairs he reached a crudely marked door which he shoved open quickly and eased inside. Normally a deputy captain didn't receive a room on the third floor (Dainin's office was on the second), but according to rumors Cackral reserved these quarters for him. Ever since this gesture, other deputies began referring to Felix as the general's favorite, though Felix didn't know why. There were too many suspicious events happening in Baelbacia for him to figure it out, or care.

The room was small and simple but was still in much better quality than the one he should have received. Not a single piece of decor was visible (thanks to Felix's nearly nonexistent sense of decoration) and in some places the pale blue wallpaper had begun to peel, mostly due to the fact that the young man didn’t bother to take good care of it.

Felix leaned Stardust up on the far wall and plopped down on the feather bed with a careless grace. He had a mission from Rinn and Urde to seek out the Warmonger in Sependia, pushing the generals to battle and convincing nobles to act. If someone didn't stop it, then Baelbacia and Neara's history would be stained by blood and who knows, maybe he wouldn't be satisfied and would move onto Gradien, Serra, Bon Carro and Tielos. That couldn't happen. It wouldn't happen. A continent embroiled in war.

Felix's heart pounded, he'd just have to look forward to beating him in battle and ending this nonsense before it escalated out of control.

Before he could make a thought to whom this Warmonger was, his eyes grew heavy. He had no idea that the training was brutal enough that much out of him. Or why Felix only realized it afterwards. In moments he had fallen asleep, dreaming about battlegrounds and past victories.

Felix was awoken suddenly by a pounding on the door and a Gena scout he recognized as Marrick swept in. He appeared very out of breath with his perfect blond hair flying awry and he was as pale as the snow outside. "Greystone sir, there's something you need to see."

"Marrick? What happened? What did you see?" Felix was somewhat shaken by the scout's attitude. Marrick was completely freaked out of his wits and he was known as a soldier who was not easily surprised.

"It's captain Dainin, sir! He's dead!" Marrick's hands began shaking constantly and his face turned a shade of green.

Felix jumped up and snatched Stardust from the wall. "Where is he right now?" Was it a murder or an accident? Perhaps things were going to heat up in Sependia after all.

"Its outside. Out back, in the training grounds."

"Okay. Marrick, stay here and try to calm down, I'll go and inspect the body," Felix shoved open the door and sprinted down the corridor, he had to arrive there before anyone else did. Otherwise order would be a long way off. Vaguely Felix wondered if his lightshow could've somehow caused it, but Dainin had been on the training grounds, not in his office when he'd died. Unless perhaps he'd fallen out the window. An amusing thought, but Felix didn't laugh.

Felix burst out unto the training grounds with a smash, leaving the double doors standing open wide behind him. He found the spot instantly. Twenty yards away was a large patch of pinkish snow, dyed by blood. He sprinted over and poked it with a finger. Still warm by that simple touch. But there was no body to be seen and no trail indicating Dainin attempting to leave that spot. It was as though he had vanished into thin air. But Felix was inclined to believe Marrick, who was so thoroughly fearful by this event.

Suddenly flickers of movement on the surrounding battlements caused Felix duck down behind a training dummy and watch quietly. There were no guard shifts there at this time of day. Could there be spies in the castle? Spies who felt the need to steal away the bodies of the people they killed? Or, perhaps the Warmonger needed to kill off captains in his grand scheme?

He saw a momentary movement again, near the tower where Dainin's office remained. Soon after, a being moved its way into the open and Felix ducked down lower to avoid being seen. The shadow that formed the intruder had long waving hair and large demonic wings, fanning the air like a twisted umbrella. A Seeker. It chuckled softly and Felix realized it was a woman's voice, but not an ordinary voice. It was a seductive lure, one that would have made a lesser man quaver with something worse than fear. Why was she here? Felix shuddered with disgust. The one person he hated the most had to show herself when he wasn't feeling quite so charitable.

Felix stood up without fear, Stardust on his shoulder and excitement in his chest. "I'm disgusted by your presence here but, must admit how good it is to see you. I haven't had anyone to beat up in weeks. But this time Mae, I'll settle the score." On that note he swung the Stardust twice and raised it up in both hands, the blade pointed straight at his enemy.

Mae leapt from the battlements, her large wings spread and landed gently on the snow only ten yards away from her adversary. Her black hair shimmered like a raven's feather and her eyes were the cruel crimson red of a demon lord. Her face might have been incredibly beautiful if not for the pallid color and the gleam of venom and evil on her face. Mae's shiny obsidian tail curled and uncurled itself, but not from anxiety, but that she was also excited. Her clothing was simple but elegant, a black and purple split-seam dress reaching down to her knees, her feet were bare. Mae furled her dark wings and retrieved a three-foot pole that was strapped to the black belt on her hip.

"Why are you so angry?" She stood tall and straight, twirling her pole idly, ignoring the Stardust trained on her heart, as though it were a buzzing fly. "I only came here to give you what you want."

"Don't even start that crap with me! I'm not going to sign off my freedom just because you asked me nicely!" Felix's blade wavered. He longed rush out and hew her open, but there was something he needed to know. "Did you kill captain Dainin? Where is his body?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mae ran a hand through her hair and said the words with such uncaring disdain that Felix believed her. She must've just recently arrived. So Mae was not the Warmonger then . . . unlucky. "I just came to check on you."

"You knew I was here?"

"Of course. After you gave up the pursuit in Reicaar, I backtracked and followed your Zephyr all the way here, to Sependia," Mae brushed a finger along the shaft of her pole. Instantly there was a click and it extended to twice its size. Just as quickly, a scythe blade seemed to fold out of the pole, turning her harmless metal scrap into a deadly weapon. "My mission of course. I had to follow you into the city because I was told to. You see, everyone back home is worried about you."

"You couldn't come up with anything better than that?" Felix smirked, feeling his caution give way to thrill. "You're losing your touch Mae, how pathetic. You know how much Urde and I despise your kind."

Mae appeared somewhat annoyed, but nothing more. "Fine then, have it your way. Darren wants to finish what he started with your beloved Scarface in the Deadwood and he's getting impatient. If you hope to warn your twin," She spun the scythe in her hands, "then you'd best hope you can defeat me."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Felix steadied the Stardust and created his famed sword-wall just before Mae's scythe raked across it not unlike a diving talon. He shoved her off, leaping clear over her head. He blocked another strike before connecting with the earth. Felix held up the blade just as the scythe seemed to claw at it, wanting to tear the weapon from his hands. They were face to face now, Felix crouching under the broad expanse of the Stardust and Mae above, a stare of slight annoyance mirrored in her eyes.

"It's been awhile," Felix said excitedly. "I'd almost forgotten how fun fighting a Seeker could be. And how satisfying it is to win!"

He slid beneath Stardust kicked Mae in the stomach, causing her to fly several yards. At the last minute, her wings snapped open and suspended her in the air, two feet from the ground. Mae charged him again, still floating, and with a ringing clash their blades collided until the times that it occurred became uncountable. Stardust became nothing more than an enormous gray-black blur, near-impossible to see, impossible to stop. Finally all sound ceased abruptly and Felix stood quite still, Stardust by his side, Mae's scythe blade in his hand. The final blow had been caught, an incredible feat. Surprised, Mae let the scythe fall and flew to the battlements, an unknown expression clouded her slit-pupil eyes. With all the authority of a judge, Felix raised Stardust above his head and brought it down on the scythe, chopping it clean in half. It was a sign to Mae, a message he willed her to bring home. That he'd be willing to do the same execution for any Seeker that dared come after him or his brother.

"Never," Felix said to her. "I'll never give in to you or anyone else. When I fight a demon, I offer no mercy. And I will not be defeated by demons. For you, I am invincible."

"Point taken." Mae sighed at the remains of her weapon then promptly turned away from him and dived from the castle, quickly morphing it into flight and disappeared in the south.

Felix collected the pieces of the broken scythe as spoils of victory and bundled them all together. He left the mystery of Dainin's death unsolved for the day; after all he didn't know and honestly didn't care. It's fairly difficult to be sad, or even concerned over the death of someone whom he hated quite thoroughly. Felix clenched his bleeding hand and glanced at the black clouds gathering on the horizon. Rain was coming. How convenient that it would wash away the evidence in the snow and the only witness to the crime was too shocked to even tell anybody what he saw. Dainin would have simply gone missing without much of a fuss and then Felix would assume his place. There was something suspicious about what was happing here, but he was too tired to care at the moment. The victory was achieved, Felix was satisfied and for now, that's all that mattered.


End file.
